Flow Data dashlet

To add a Flow Data dashlet to a custom dashboard

Managing the display of the Flow Data dashlet

    To filter the Flow Data dashlet

    To apply a breakdown to the Flow Data dashlet

    To configure the Flow Data chart

The Flow Data dashlet displays flow data in a chart for the selected View, Subview, device, VM platform or port. It displays a chart of flow data of the chosen breakdowns (by topN), and below that a table detailing the breakdown in further detail.

Depending on your screen resolution, there is also a navigation bar showing a timeframe that you can adjust to determine what is displayed on the chart above.

The Flow Data dashlet is only applicable to Views or Subviews with a device or devices enabled for flow, devices that have been enabled for flow, and ports from which flow is being collected. It is not applicable to any other data source (for example, services).

To add a Flow Data dashlet to a custom dashboard:

1. When adding a dashlet to a new custom dashboard or editing an existing custom dashboard, follow the instructions for adding a dashlet, select Flow Data in the Select Dashlet Type, and click Next.
   The Create Dashlet form is displayed.
2. Make entries and selections in the different sections of the Create Dashlet form. 

Dashlet Settings section

1. Enter a name for your dashlet in the Name field.

2. You can then choose the source of the data to be displayed in the dashlet from the Dashlet Source field.

   The Flow Data dashlet can only display data where the source is a View/Subview with a device or devices enabled for flow, a device enabled for flow, or a port from which flow is being collected.
   • If you want this dashlet to source its data from the context of its parent dashboard, select Dashboard. You can see the context of the parent dashboard in the Dashboard Context field at the top of the form.
   • If you want this dashlet to source its data from another dashlet in this current dashboard, select Dashlet.
   • If you want this dashlet to source its data from a specific View/Subview, device or port on your network, select Fixed Object. 
     You can then click Browse to an object to search for the View/Subview, device, or port in Explorer, or drag into the box your desired View/Subview, device, or port from another browser window.

Change Date Range section

1. Specify whether to Use Dashboard Timeframe.  
   If switched off, you can specify a custom timeframe of included events in the Flow Range field below.

Change TopN section

1. Specify whether to use the Dashboard TopN value for the dashlet. 
   If not selected, specify the TopN value. Please see this article for information on setting dashboard TopN values.

Change Chart Mode section

1. Specify the type of chart you would like the data to be displayed on in the Chart Mode dropdown field, choosing from one of the following:
   • Area
   • Area (Stacked)
   • Line
   • Pie
   • Bar
   • Spline
   • Area Spline
   • Area Spline (Stacked)
   • None

Advanced Settings section

1. Click the Advanced Settings field to open the Advanced Settings form.
   1. Choose whether you want to hide the title of the dashlet in the Hide Title Bar field. 
      If selected, the dashlet's Overflow Menu will also be hidden, but in the Promote Menu Options field you can then choose if you want to display the options in the dashlet's Overflow Menu in the overall dashboard's Overflow Menu.
   2. Choose whether you want the dashlet to automatically refresh in the Auto Refresh field.
   3. Click Done to save you selections and return to the Create Dashlet form. Otherwise, click Cancel.

3. Click Done on the Create Dashlet form to save the dashlet and its settings. Otherwise, click Cancel.

Managing the display of the Flow Data dashlet

You can perform the following actions to control what is displayed in the Flow Data dashlet:

• Filter the dashlet
• Apply a breakdown to the dashlet
• Configure the dashlet chart

Note, when on the Flow dashboard, the device selected in the Flow List dashlet will then populate the Flow Data dashlet:

To filter the Flow Data dashlet:

If you want to filter the Flow Data dashlet to display data for a specific item or breakdown (for example, a specific port), do one of the following:

• Load a default or saved custom filter.
• Configure the currently applied filter.

To load a default or saved custom filter:

Note, custom filters are saved in flow queries. For more information about flow queries, please see this article.

1. Navigate to the Flow Data dashlet.
2. Click Load Filter from the dashlet Overflow Menu.
   The Load Flow Filter form is displayed.
   
3. Choose whether to load a personal or shared filter by setting the Use a Personal Flow Filter? option.
   Note, a custom flow filter is designated as personal or shared when you create a flow query, while a default filter is always shared.
   The flow filters are displayed on the form, based on your selection.
4. Select the flow filter that you want to apply to the Flow Data dashlet, and click Load. 
   The dashlet then updates, according to the filter settings. Otherwise, click Cancel.

To configure the currently applied flow filter:

1. Navigate to the Flow Data dashlet.
2. Click Configure Filter in the top-right of the dashlet or from the dashlet Overflow Menu.
   The Flow Filter form is displayed. 
   
3. Do the following:
   1. If rules already exist that you want to use in the flow filter, skip to step 4. Otherwise, click the Create Flow Filter Rule field to create a new flow rule for the currently configured filter. 
      The Flow Rule form is displayed.
      
   2. Enter the name of the flow rule in the Name field.
   3.  In the Rule Item field, select one of the breakdowns that are available for this dashlet:
      • Interface
      • Interface In
      • Interface Out
      • Application
      • Host
      • Source
      • Destination
      • Protocol
      • Port
      • Port In
      • Port Out
      • QoS Class
      • IP Precedence
      • DSCP
      • Ingress/Egress
      • VXLAN ID
      • Host (inside VXLAN)
      • Source (inside VXLAN)
      • Destination (inside VXLAN)
      • Protocol (inside VXLAN)
      • Port (inside VXLAN)
      • Application (inside VXLAN)
   4. Once you have selected a breakdown, the form updates with the specific items available for that selected breakdown. 
      For example, if you selected Port Out in the previous step, you can then specify the port number, or numbers, in the Port field that is displayed. Or, if you selected Ingress/Egress, you can then select N/A, Ingress or Egress in the fields that are displayed.
   5. Click Save to save the flow rule and return to the Flow Filter form. Otherwise, click Cancel.
4. Select the checkbox next to each filter rule that you want to use in the filter.
5. To optionally view and edit the details of an existing filter rule, click the arrow to the right of the filter rule.
   The Flow Rule form is displayed, where you can make edits, as needed. (Please see step i above for more information.)
6. Click Done on the Flow Filter form to save the filter selections and close the form. 
   The dashlet then updates, according to the filter settings. Otherwise, click Cancel.
    

To apply a breakdown to the Flow Data dashlet:

To specify the type of flow information you want to display in the Flow Data dashlet, do one of the following:

• Load a default or saved custom breakdown.
• Configure the currently applied breakdown.

Available Breakdowns

The available breakdowns of flow information for the Flow Data dashlet are listed in the following table.

Note, if the source IP address of the device cannot be matched to the inventory object, then Entuity displays the IP address in the dashlet. Similarly, if Entuity cannot match the ifIndex to the interface in the inventory, ENA will then display ifIndex N. If a user does not have access to an interface entry, it will be masked (###) (non-inventory interfaces are not masked). If a user has access to the interface but not the device, then the device name is not displayed, but a drilldown is possible. 

To load a default or saved custom breakdown:

Note, custom breakdowns are saved in flow queries. For more information about flow queries, please see this article.

1. Navigate to the Flow Data dashlet.
2. Click Load Breakdown from the dashlet Overflow Menu.
   The Load Flow Breakdown form is displayed. 
   
3. Choose whether to load a personal flow breakdown or shared flow breakdown by setting the Use a Personal Flow Breakdown? option.
   Note, a custom breakdown is designated as personal or shared when you create a flow query, while a default breakdown is always shared. 
   The breakdowns are displayed on the form, based on your selection.
4. Select a breakdown to specify the type of flow information you want to see in the dashlet. 
   Please see the Available Breakdowns section above for more information on the breakdown data metrics.
5. Click Load to save your selections and exit the form.
   The dashlet then updates, according to the breakdown settings. Otherwise, click Cancel.

To configure the currently applied flow breakdown:

1. Navigate to the Flow Data dashlet.
2. Click Configure Breakdown in the top-right of the dashlet or from the dashlet Overflow Menu.
   The Configure Breakdown form is displayed.
   
3. Choose whether to perform DNS Lookup in the dashlet for the device source and destination columns. 
   If set to Yes, the FQDN device name is shown in the chart. If set to No, the source IP address of the device is shown. 

4. Optionally click the arrow next to the Count field to select one of the breakdown data metrics from the Groups field to be displayed in the Counts column of the dashlet table.

   For example, if you select Application in the Count field, and then select Source in the Groups field, the Flow Data dashlet will display the Counts Application column in its table, and show the number of applications in that column for each source.  
   Please see the Available Breakdowns section above for more information on the breakdown data metrics.
5. Click the arrow next to the Groups field to select one or more groups of breakdown data metrics that you want to see in the dashlet.
   Please see the Available Breakdowns section above for more information on the breakdown data metrics.
6. Click Save to save your selections and exit the form.
   The dashlet then updates, according to the breakdown settings. Otherwise, click Cancel.

To configure the Flow Data chart:

1. Navigate to the Flow Data dashlet that you want to configure.
2. Click Configure Chart in the top-right of the dashlet or from the dashlet Overflow Menu.
   The Configure Chart form is displayed.
   
3. From the Chart Mode dropdown menu, select the type of chart that you would like the data to be displayed on, and click Save. Otherwise, click Cancel.
   • Area
   • Area (Stacked)
   • Line
   • Pie
   • Bar
   • Spline
   • Area Spline
   • Area Spline (Stacked)
   • None
4. Click Save to save your selections and exit out of the Configure Chart form. Otherwise, click Cancel.
5. Specify the TopN value in the TopN filter at the top of the dashlet: